Diablo Dam is one of three dams along the upper
Skagit River
The Skagit River ( ) is a river in southwestern British Columbia in Canada and northwestern Washington in the United States, approximately 150 mi (240 km) long. The river and its tributaries drain an area of 1.7 million acres (690,000& ...
in
Whatcom County, Washington
Whatcom County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington, bordered by the Canadian Lower Mainland (the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley Regional Districts of British Columbia) to the north, Okanogan Coun ...
and part of the
Skagit River Hydroelectric Project
The Skagit River Hydroelectric Project is a series of dams with hydroelectric power-generating stations on the Skagit River in northern Washington State. The project is owned and operated by Seattle City Light to provide electric power for the C ...
that supplies
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
with some of its power needs. The dam was built in Diablo Canyon, a gorge of solid granite with vertical walls rising from the river bed, yet were less than apart. Construction began in 1927, and was completed in 1930. The dam began generating electricity in 1936.
The result was a power-generating dam that holds a reservoir known as
Diablo Lake
Diablo Lake is a reservoir in the North Cascade mountains of northern Washington state, United States. Created by Diablo Dam, the lake is located between Ross Lake and Gorge Lake on the Skagit River at an elevation of above sea level. Diablo La ...
. At the time it was completed, Diablo Dam, at , was the tallest dam in the world.
Water from the dam operates two main generators, each with a capacity of 64.5 MW.
The dam and its original associated power generation infrastructure were listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1989.
Climate
The
Western Regional Climate Center The Western Regional Climate Center (WRCC) is a climate research center serving the Western United States. The WRCC is one of six regional centers administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Centers for Environm ...
(WRCC) reports weather station 452157 at Diablo Dam since 1948, presently at with an elevation of .
The dam is in a transitional
maritime
Maritime may refer to:
Geography
* Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps
* Maritime Region, a region in Togo
* Maritime Southeast Asia
* The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Princ ...
-
mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
(''Cfb/Csb'') depending on summer rainfall isotherm.
Panorama
See also
*
List of dams and reservoirs in Washington
This is a list of dams and reservoirs in the U.S. state of Washington, and pertinent data. According to the Washington State Department of Ecology, as of 2020 there were 1226 dams in the state. Of 39 counties, King County had the most dams, 125.
...
*
Skagit River
The Skagit River ( ) is a river in southwestern British Columbia in Canada and northwestern Washington in the United States, approximately 150 mi (240 km) long. The river and its tributaries drain an area of 1.7 million acres (690,000& ...
References
External links
Diablo Dam, 1929-1932 (Part 1)(Part 2)(Part 3)
– silent film clips of construction posted by Seattle Municipal Archives
The Seattle Municipal Archives are the official archive of the city of Seattle. The organization is housed in Seattle City Hall.
The organization was formally established in 1985. The city of Seattle stores its city records here.
The Seattle Mun ...
on YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
External links
*Historic American Engineering Record
Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...
(HAER) documentation, filed under Newhalem, Whatcom County, WA:
**
**
**
Dams in Washington (state)
Seattle City Light dams
Buildings and structures in Whatcom County, Washington
Historic American Engineering Record in Washington (state)
Hydroelectric power plants in Washington (state)
United States power company dams
Dams completed in 1930
Energy infrastructure completed in 1936
Arch dams
Dams on the Skagit River
National Register of Historic Places in Ross Lake National Recreation Area
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